


Landslide

by moiyoko



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gang, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gang, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-13 05:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/820315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moiyoko/pseuds/moiyoko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was never really expecting to see her again after he had sold her sister the pills, but after she punched him in the side of the head, called him an idiot, and told him to never sell to her sister again he realized that he had wished for her to come back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One day I was scrolling through my dash and I saw this prompt from [sabotensan](http://sabotensan.tumblr.com/post/21995288243/microfics)'s challenge:
> 
> AU - He was never really expecting to see her again after he had sold her sister the pills, but after she smacked him hard on the head, called him stupid and told him to stop selling drugs, he realized that he had wished for her to come back.
> 
> Then I started typing and this happened. I don't own Game of Thrones, I only recently started watching the tv show, and so I really don't know anything. I don't know what's going on so please forgive me and blame my brain for not shutting up.

Arya didn’t know the specifics on what happened to Sansa when the Lannister men took her, although no one had even confirmed that they were Lannister men, but everyone knew. They had been paid for their work to say the least, the Lannisters had plenty of money to throw around which was how they were able to get some idiots to think that it was a smart idea to take Sansa. In the end they were the ones who paid, her father Ned Stark made sure of that. It was more than they had bargained for and had cost them their lives. There was no sympathy or pity to be spared for them.

She still hadn’t figured out how Sansa had been taken, considering she always had a small entourage with her no matter where she went, not that she really went many places. Gang life wasn’t as simple as every day life. If she were a normal girl, which she sometimes longed to be, Sansa would have gone to the movies with her friends and been even more focused on getting the boy’s attention, or maybe less focused. Arya didn’t understand it. Instead Sansa was often shut in, not caring for the gang life just like her mother Catelyn. They just seemed to enjoy being shut away from the world in order to keep themselves safe. The few places they did go were familiar and safe, so for Sansa to get taken on the way to a safe location was unnerving. Either the men had been trailing her for months or someone was spilling their secrets. Just the thought made Arya’s blood boil. 

Ever since Sansa had been taken life within the Stark family had been on edge. Catelyn and Sansa seemed to keep each other company along with Bran and Rickon. Bran and Rickon were still too young to understand, having been told that Sansa was spending time at their aunt and uncle’s while she was in fact being held for ransom. The four of them kept inside the house, not daring to go into the outside world where danger was lurking. It was safe to say that the absence of her father contributing to the atmosphere within the home. He was still out in the streets, searching for more information on Sansa’s ordeal. He wouldn’t stop until he found out everything he needed to know but even then he would take matters into his own hands to make sure that it never happened again. There were men who worked with her father that would gladly do all the work for Ned but he saw fit to do it himself. His best friend Uncle Robert was doing what he could on his end to help an old friend. Although their gangs were on friendly terms no one ever liked the thought of two gangs becoming one. To some it would seem strange for a gang leader to be working the streets for information, but the Stark’s knew it was because there was no one better suited for the job.

Her brother Robb and half brother Jon seemed to be the only ones keeping the house together with their calm demeanors but Arya knew better. She had heard Jon say that something wasn’t right and a war was coming. At the time Arya only knew of wars that were fought and played in video games. There were wars in other countries but those were more with governments and militaries. How could there be a war in the streets of New York? Arya refused to be kept inside along with her brothers and sister. She wasn’t so weak and afraid of the world to think that hiding from it would be the answer. When she could she snuck out the window and down the fire escape of the apartment. Bran had discovered the small escape route and showed her his trick after he perfected it. Timing was everything in order to not get caught leaving the apartment safe house. They had their home of course but everyone knew where that was. It would have been pointless to try and hide out there. The apartment was small and inconspicuous. It blended in with it’s surroundings and no one would ever suspect the Stark family to be there even if it was within the gang’s territory. The other tenants of the apartment, in order to make it look less suspicious, were close family friends who didn’t mind keeping up a charade in order to keep them safe. That meant eyes were everywhere when a person even got close to the property.

On the third night of being in the apartment safe house Arya peeked at the darkness around her from underneath her covers. Her eyes didn’t take long to adjust to the lack of light, considering she had been awake the entire time. She could hear the quiet snores of her brothers even from the next room. Everyone was asleep, or so it seemed before she noticed that Sansa’s bed seemed to be unmoving. The blankets didn’t rise and fall with her sister’s breathing. There actually wasn’t any sound to be heard coming from her sister’s side of the room. Arya quietly slid her covers off of her and walked over to Sansa’s bed, pushing down on the blankets. There was a cushion underneath Arya’s hand and she realized Sansa had left a pillow in her place. Perhaps she had gone into their mother’s room and the pillow had somehow been moved into just the right position. Where would Sansa have to go at this time of night? Instead of actually worrying about her sister Arya shrugged it off, returning to her bed to make it appear as if she were still underneath all the blankets before she slipped out the window and down the fire escape. 

The night air was cool against her face, which had the only bit of skin that was actually visible. With a dark hoodie on and her hands shoved into her pockets Arya walked along the alleyway, heading to the back and away from the street. The street in front of the apartment would have people standing watch, although they wouldn’t be obvious to anyone, not even herself. Being discreet was a talent that was hard to master. Arya still lacked the ability to hide how she really felt. Even if she were to remain silent, which would have been a miracle, her thoughts would be written all over her face. There were muffled blares of sirens sounding off in the distance, which was something Arya would have felt lost without because after so many years they had become like a lullaby, but then an unfamiliar sound filled the air as she turned the corner. The tone was low and hushed although something sounded desperate. That was when she realized that she was hearing voices, but who would be out here at this time of night, besides herself of course. She quietly followed the sound of the voices until she stopped just short of another corner where two people were bargaining.

“This is all you have?” came a hushed tone with a hint of desperation. For some reason it sounded familiar, but then again all whispers sounded the same.

“For you, yes.” replied another voice, this one deeper and more relaxed.

“Fine.” sighed the first voice in defeat.

Arya could only wait as she knew an exchange of some sort was going down. She wasn’t a stupid little girl, it was either drugs or pills or something else. A junkie running around in need of another hit was what it sounded like.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” said the other voice, obviously pleased with the transaction. It was a guy talking, not a kid but not necessarily a man either. The familiar sounding voice belonged to a girl, who Arya could hear fussing with the bag to open it and take what she needed. Arya was lost in her thoughts for a moment trying to think of who she knew that would be dealing with pills or drugs that would sound so familiar. No one in particular came to mind, especially not another girl. It was safe to say she was a tom boy through and through, always with her brothers or some male figure who was a family friend. She wanted to be involved in the gang life unlike her mother and Sansa. There was an entire world waiting to be explored and shutting herself in one of the safe houses wasn’t going to accomplish anything.

She didn’t have a chance to finish her thought as the sound of footsteps rounding the corner she was hiding behind drew her back to reality. It was too late to move however, considering there wasn’t exactly anywhere to hide in the middle of the alleyway and she would only make more noise trying to not get caught by the somehow familiar stranger, unless it was the guy coming her way. Before she could attempt to stare at the ground and act like an innocent bystander the person leaving bumped straight into Arya with a sigh of annoyance. Arya immediately looked down at the ground and backed a step away, knowing that her hood would block her face from whoever it was. “Sorry.” said the familiar voice before continuing on, obviously in a hurry. Arya caught a glimpse of auburn hair from the corner of her eye and suddenly everything was starting to make sense. She turned her head slowly, making sure to keep her head at an angle to keep her face blocked. There was her sister Sansa walking down the alleyway and away from the deal that had just taken place. Her auburn hair was enough of a hint but Arya recognized her sister from behind, Sansa’s long auburn hair was pulled into a ponytail on the side and Arya watched as Sansa pulled her hood over the top of her head before going back to the apartment.

What in the world was Sansa doing? What was she even thinking? Arya couldn’t understand why Sansa was running around late at night. What drugs or pills would she even be buying? She didn’t have a need for them. They had been raised better and Sansa was smarter than that. The better question was who was dumb enough to sell to Sansa and risk getting caught? If her father heard who was supplying his beloved daughter with anything he deemed garbage they would have hell to pay. Whoever had dared to come this close to the apartment safe house was either stupid or had a death wish. For the time being Ned Stark wasn’t around and so Arya deemed it necessary to take matters into her own hands. Facing forward once more she rounded the corner, finding a figure perched on the ladder of a fire escape. They were counting their profits of the previous transaction and Arya braced herself for what she was going to do and say. In actuality she didn’t have a plan, besides finding out who was doing the selling and what they were selling to Sansa.

“Who do you think you are?” she blurted out, her mouth a few steps ahead of her mind. She realized that her hands were at her side now, clenched into fists. She wasn’t planning on hitting anyone but she was going to do what it took to get answers.

The figure looked up at her, taking in the sight of her small size, before chuckling a bit. “I don’t think it’s any of your business little lady.” he answered.

She was taken back for a moment, surprised that he had been able to tell that she was in fact a girl when she could have easily been mistaken for a boy as she usually was by others. His little lady comment got to her, that was the insult her brothers liked to use when she wasn’t acting like Sansa or her mother. She wasn’t very lady like with all of her boy-ish tendencies. 

“It is when you sell to my sister.” Arya retorted after a moment as she began walking towards to the stranger, fists still waiting at her side, “Who are you and what are you selling?” She knew she didn’t stand a chance at threatening him, at least not physically. She could fight of course, plenty of practice was available with so many brothers, but she didn’t have a weapon of any sort save for a bottle of pepper spray and the guy in front of her obviously wasn’t intimidated. She would have to be fast to pull one over on him with her bottle of pepper spray, but who knew what he was carrying.

“Your sister huh?” he questioned, still very much at ease on the ladder as if he didn’t have a care in the world, “All I’m doing is giving her what she needs.”

“That’s a lie.” Arya spat, “She doesn’t need anything that you’re selling.”

“Apparently she does.” he shrugged in response.

“What are you selling to her?” she questioned once more.

“Are you interested in buying?” he said with a smirk. Now that Arya was close enough to him she could see dark black shaggy hair that was almost to his eyes. It was his eyes that stunned her and caught her attention. They were a piercing blue which was a contrast to his dark hair. He didn’t wear a hood or try to disguise how he looked. He was taller than her, which wasn’t much of an accomplishment for anyone considering she was still waiting on a growth spurt, or so she hoped. He was wearing a pair of jeans along with a long sleeved shirt, as if he had nothing to hide or stash away from anyone.

“No, of course not!” she said as if she were offended by the very idea, which she was. “I don’t want you to sell to my sister ever again you idiot! I don’t care what you have, it can’t be good for anyone save yourself when it comes to the profits.”

He still wore a smug grin as he leaned down towards Arya’s face, looking her right in the eyes. It was a little too close for comfort but Arya knew she had to stand her ground, if only for a few moments. “That’s the only reason to sell though.” he said to her as his eyes seemed to look right through her.

“Yeah, well…” she fumbled for a moment while trying to return his gaze, “You’re an idiot and you better not sell to my sister again!” Her arm rose up and with her hand still balled into a fist she punched the dealer on the side of his head close to his ear and the beginning of his jaw. It was hard enough to get her point across, but not hard enough to bruise or do any permanent damage. Right after hitting him she realized how careless such a move had been, it was a mistake on her part because she didn’t know who the guy was or what he would do to her. Of course she didn’t regret hitting him because she had wanted to but now the consequences of her action were in the hands of a stranger. There was a look of shock on his face but that was to be expected. It wasn’t every day he got hit by a girl.

Arya braced herself for retaliation and her eyes went to the ground for a moment as she wondered what would happen. There was going to be a click of a gun or a switchblade, only the worst things possible came to her mind. It was bad enough that Sansa had been taken but if Arya got hurt because of her own actions that would make things even worse at home. Then she would truly be on lockdown within the apartment, if she lived of course. As she looked back up at the guy she heard him start to chuckle before he barked a loud laugh. He thought this was funny? Maybe he was on something himself. That would make sense considering Arya didn’t see this as any sort of laughing matter. Or perhaps he thought what was going to happen next would be funny. She should have ran by now, this was the perfect time to try to get away, but she knew better. They were in the alleyways, there weren’t many places to hide and even if she did start going he was larger than her. That didn’t mean he was quick, but with his stride he would likely catch up to her.

“Listen here.” he started to say as his laughter faded with a smile on his face, “I sell based on supply and demand so as long as your sister wants some I’ll sell to her. It sounds like you need to work something out with her so she doesn’t buy again.”

“She’s being stupid, which is the only reason she’s even buying.” Arya replied, “Do you even know who she is or what will happen to you if you don’t stop?”

“Let me guess, she’s another girl just trying to fill a void.” he lulled, as if bored by the thought of it, “And if I don’t stop I’ll have you to deal with.”

“She’s Sansa Stark.” Arya blurted out before realizing she was giving away too much information. They were hiding after all so if this guy decided to share their general whereabouts with anyone he would get a reward while her family would pay.

“That would make you Arya.” he answered, obviously all ready aware of who his customer was.

“How did you-?” she started to stammer.

“I don’t do business with just anyone. I was only referred to her by a friend of hers, so she has no idea who I am.”

“Then she had some shady friends.” Arya muttered just loud enough for him to hear. “I don’t want to see you around here ever again or you will have me to deal with.” she said loud enough to be a threat.

“Maybe I will see you, maybe I won’t.” he shrugged as he stepped down from the ladder, “If I have you to deal with it you may see me more often.” The smirk on his face made Arya want to punch him. Did he think that he was being funny, because he wasn’t. “It’s far past your bedtime though so hurry home and get some sleep. Good night Arya.” he said with a nod as he walked away from where she stood. For some reason it was as if she was frozen, at least until he was out of sight. She couldn’t even think of a good comeback for his bedtime comment but perhaps that wasn’t the worst thing to happen that night. Instead she made her way back to the apartment, finding Sansa sound asleep in her bed while the rest of her family was undisturbed. Arya would have to keep an eye on Sansa if she wanted to be sure that nothing like this happened again. The blue eyed guy wouldn’t be around again as long as she could help it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you to those of you who even read this. Now the point of view switches to Gendry and the chapter is short because the next one is longer with lots going on.

Many things had happened to the Stark family after Gendry had done business with Sansa. That wasn’t to say that everything that had happened was his fault though. He had only sold Sansa something to calm her nerves, nothing to get her hooked. He was painfully aware of what had happened to her with the Lannister men who had taken her. That was how life on the streets were when you were as low as he was. He had his connections of course but most didn’t take him for much of anything. Instead he was ignored by some and invisible to others, but that meant he got to hear plenty in regards to what was happening in the streets.

Sansa Stark had been taken by Lannister men, that much was true. They had been paid handsomely and offered more for each day they kept her. Instead of getting all their promised rewards though they were killed by her father, Ned Stark. Ned had worked with his friend Robert Baratheon, the head of another gang, to get the job done. After that ordeal the Lannister’s sought revenge, trying to claim that Ned had been unfair to them in some other matter. They never fessed up to being the ones responsible for Sansa’s disappearance. An all out war had broken out between the gangs within the city, siding with either the Starks or the Lannisters. Robert and Ned were both killed in the middle of the streets early on, betrayed by those they had trusted with their lives. Their families were dealt a great blow by losing their heads of the households. The Baratheon brothers started to fight amongst themselves over who should be in charge while the Starks kept to themselves to mourn the death of Ned.

To Gendry none of this was any of his business. What did it matter to him? He wasn’t involved, none of it had a thing to do with him. He was still just some bastard who worked the streets in order to live. That was his thought process until he saw her.

She looked completely lost, almost like a ghost haunting the halls of an abandoned house looking for something. If it wasn’t for the fact that he recognized her grey eyes he would have believed she was an actual ghost. Similar to their last encounter she appeared to be wearing oversized clothes to make herself appear like a boy wandering the streets but he knew better. He had been able to recognize her before through the same façade and this time was no different. She was in his neck of the woods though. This was no place for Arya Stark. Her defensive attitude towards the thought of taking drugs made him question what she was after, considering there were plenty of sellers who were eager for a buyer in these parts. No one else seemed to take notice of her, which worked in Gendry’s favor as he casually approached her, shortening his stride in order to walk alongside her.

“I think you’re a little lost to be in these parts.” he said in a quiet tone, still unsure of why he was even concerned with her.

“No.” she replied with an exhausted sigh, “This is exactly where I need to be. Everything is about supply and demand here, right?” She wasn’t making eye contact with him or anyone else for that matter, her eyes just stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

“I’m surprised you remembered that.” he admitted, “I thought that a little lady like yourself was too smart for the product we have here.”

What he said caught her attention as her eyes widened a bit and she looked at him for a moment, lips parting to say something but nothing came. She shut her mouth just as quickly and returned her gaze forward. Gendry wasn’t sure if she was reacting to him remembering her or if she didn’t like that he had called her out on being a girl, although it wasn’t loud enough for anyone to hear.

“What?” he questioned, “If you have something to say you might as well spit it out now. You didn’t hold back not so long ago.”

It had been around five or six months since he had run into her that night he had sold to Sansa. The eldest Stark girl never did come to buy from him or anyone else again. A one time fix was all she needed for a cure to her itch. That was why he hadn’t seen Arya again, even though he wouldn’t have minded. He could easily admit that she was still just a kid, but a feisty one at that. She seemed to know more of the real world than most and spoke her mind, that was something new for a girl to him. Then again that privilege might have come along with being a part of her family. The Stark name was something very few dared to go against, at least until recently.

“What do you care?” she finally replied as she stopped walking. Even with his shortened stride Gendry had taken a few steps to many and had to backtrack to stand next to her once more.

“Dunno.” he shrugged in response, “I suppose someone should after what I saw you do for your sister. Not many people run around hitting drug dealers. I can’t say I know everything but I know enough to be sure this isn’t like you.”

He watched her body tense up underneath all of her layers as her hands balled themselves into fist at her side. Gendry wondered if she was going to hit him this time for not offering to sell to her. Now that would have been a turn of events. Instead he realized that she was shaking, not out of fear and it didn’t appear to be anger. There was some emotion behind it but he didn’t know what. Before he could say anything she looked up at him, eyes red with tears threatening to fall.

“You wouldn’t know anything!” she said as if she were accusing him of something, “Just because you know my name doesn’t mean you know a thing about me or what I’ve seen. Just leave me alone or I’ll hit you again!”

There was something familiar, a threat, albeit a small one to him, but a threat nonetheless. Had she grown much since their last encounter? No, she would only be able to hit him on the head if he bent down and allowed her to do so. Rather than just letting it go and leaving her be Gendry found himself standing his ground in front of her. Apparently he had meant what he said to her all those months ago about seeing her more often if possible. This was his chance, although he didn’t know what for.

“Go for it.” he offered, “Hit me all you want if it makes you feel better. I do know some things though, plenty actually. I know what happened to your sister and your father and the man you considered an uncle. I know that your whole family has been grieving for months now with no end in sight. Your brother will likely step up but that won’t accomplish any good if he gets killed as well. Your half brother was sent away to prison on false charges set up by someone else. So go ahead, hit me if it will get you out of this place.”

Gendry could tell that she was trying to process what he had just said, it was written all over her face and in her grey eyes. Tears were no longer on the brim of her eyes as they widened in disbelief. For not knowing anything he sure knew enough, more than she expected to say the least. For what he did know he was still unsure of his own motives. It was one thing to prove what he knew but another entirely to try to use such knowledge to dissuade someone from doing business. He didn’t want her to be where she was though, it wasn’t her world and he doubted she would be like Sansa after everything that had happened.

“How can you possibly know so much?” she finally managed to ask while staring at him in disbelief. Her hands were no longer clenched into fists and her whole posture had relaxed a bit. He had caught her off guard and her defenses were down, not that she had anything to defend herself against. He knew more than most, which meant she had less to explain, if she even cared to explain at all.

“One of the perks of the trade.” he answered as he looked at her, “Now, if you’re going to hit me get it over with here and then leave. You don’t belong here.”

“How do you know though?” she questioned, her grey eyes showing a bit of hope that was also in her voice. There were still some things even she didn’t understand then.

“Not here.” he said quickly, still unsure if he wanted her to know everything he knew. How could she be so out of the loop when it concerned her own family? Perhaps they thought she was too young to do anything or they thought she was a girl who would grieve for the rest of her life. Those were answers he didn’t have. There was no way he would have her meet him in one of his spots, that would be too risky. This one encounter was the only one anyone else needed to see. That’s when an idea hit him, a stupid one but an idea nonetheless. 

“What safe house are you at?” he questioned, before she could even begin to try to plead for answers.

“Down on the borderlines.” she answered; having finally figured out that he could put two and two together.

“The alleyway just south of there then. Anytime past midnight and I’ll be around.” he proposed.

She nodded in response. He didn’t know when she’d be able to sneak out or if she could, but he’d given her a big enough window to get out if possible. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that there were going to be plenty of able-bodied men who were loyal to her family trying to keep her safe. She seemed like the determined type though, if he had something she wanted then she was going to make sure she got it. She had been able to get all the way to his part of town without a hitch and with no protection in sight.

“Now then. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” he concluded, reaching a hand into his pant pocket. With a small plastic bag in hand he offered it to Arya, although he was actually trying to force it into her hand.

“What are you-?” she started to question as she leaned back away from him.

“Trust me.” he said, “If these guys don’t see a deal go down they’ll be on you like dogs either trying to offer you what you want or to take all your money. There isn’t much of anything in here anyways so shake nicely as if you’ve just paid me and go on your way. I expect to get it back tonight with nothing missing.”

“See you tonight.” she said as she finally accepted the bag by taking his hand and giving it a good shake. Gendry turned his hand inward so it appeared to any onlooker as if he were hiding the wad of cash he had just earned. With that she turned around and left almost as quickly as she had come.

Gendry pocketed his imaginary cash and kept an eye on her as she left while he returned to where he had originally been waiting on the side of a building. He did his best to be discreet about watching her leave, he didn’t want any nonsense about mixing business with pleasure like his fellow dealers. As he thought about how much he could tell her as well as what he could tell her his thoughts were interrupted.

“How much did you make?” someone asked him.

“Enough.” he replied as he realized that seeing her again was going to be plenty for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Arya's point of view with questions answered.

The plan had worked out differently than expected. Arya had thought she would just do as Sansa had done not too long ago. Get some pills, feel better, and never have to worry about it again. In actuality she would have rather taken the pills and forgotten everything she had seen. That would have made everything so much easier. Instead she would be haunted with the nightmares for a while longer but for a good reason, answers. It was hard to get a word out of Robb ever since her father died, he was busy trying to keep the rest of the family together. Her mother Catelyn was never far from Robb’s side, assisting and aiding any family she could. That was a good thing though and Arya realized that. As soon as Catelyn stopped for just a moment she would break, much like the rest of the family wanted to or had. Jon would have been the one to answer her questions but he was locked up, the court case had been disputed but the verdict was guilty much to everyone’s dismay. It seemed as if all at once everything came crashing down. Arya was separated from all of her siblings, each one at a different safe house. No one was truly safe, Arya knew that the moment she saw her father’s lifeless body on the concrete.

There was hope now though, that drug dealer with those piercing blue eyes had recognized her and was willing to talk. He knew more than she had ever hoped to know, not only about her family but about everything it seemed. How did he know about their different safe houses? Had he been spying on her family? Sansa hadn’t taken any sort of drugs or pills since that night Arya had followed her so it would be pointless to stalk a lost costumer. Then the thought came to her, what if he worked for the Lannisters? That would explain how he knew so much considering everything that had happened to her family had been their doing. To be masquerading as a dealer and knowing so much about what was going on amongst the families didn’t seem right. If he were that important they wouldn’t have him working on the streets. He had tried to dissuade her from being where she was though. Capturing her would have been a prime opportunity for anyone working for the Lannisters and what better time was there than when she was walking along the streets looking for a hit? On top of that he had given her a bag of product just to keep her safe, no suspicion came about from anyone else in the area and no one bothered her. For now she felt that she could trust the dealer, at least until she heard him out with everything he had to say. 

Even after she arrived back at her designated safe house she hadn’t bothered to check what he had given her in order to keep her safe. It would remain in her pocket until she saw him that night. There wasn’t a need or desire for it anymore. No one realized she had been away, save Nymeria, but that wasn’t anything new. With the guard being on high alert for her entire family Arya had gotten better at sneaking out of any safe house her family owned. The real trick was going to be the ability to do so from any building, but she didn’t have time to work on that skill set. Nymeria was the last present she had ever received from her father, a husky wolf pup that seemed to have more traits of a wolf than an actual dog. Nymeria was Arya’s new family for the time being and was growing incredibly fast for still being just a puppy. The hours went by slowly as Arya wasted time with the tv on while she punched at a punching bag in the corner of her room. Nymeria laid on the floor, watching Arya punch continuously for a little while before closing her eyes to fall asleep. 

When it was finally getting closer to midnight Arya turned the tv down, knowing the light and little noise would at least make it seem that she was still cooped up safe inside. 

“I’ll be back girl.” she said as she rubbed behind Nymeria’s ears, “Keep things safe here.”

Nymeria let out a slight whimper before yawning and watching Arya get ready to take her leave. Arya only had to change back into the sweatshirt she had been wearing and put on a pair of dark pants before she made her way out of the window and down the fire escape. With her timing she realized she might show up a little early which could be deemed as being too eager, but she had to know what happened. With the little she could piece together on her own any answers would assist her. 

As Arya walked towards the south end she kept her hands inside her pockets, holding the plastic bag in her hands. She still didn’t know the name of the dealer yet he knew hers. She would have to be sure to ask once she saw him again. If needed she could bribe him with the bag in her hand, although if she did that right away he might not share any information with her. Holding off on that proposal seemed like the best idea for now. Her walking started to slow as she searched around for the dealer. He had only given a general area, considering the south alleyway was fairly large. They would have to run into each other at some point, but she wondered if they would just go in circles after the other without finally bumping into each other.

“Right on time.” came a voice.

Arya turned around to see him walking out from the shadows one of the walls had cast. The alleyway was dimly lit but she should have spotted him before. He was great at hiding, although that was probably a skill set he used on a daily basis. He was still wearing the same attire from earlier, a long sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She wondered how he could always appear to have nothing to hide when he did have so much to hide. Being a dealer required plenty of hiding and secrets. It seemed he didn’t feel that necessary, or he was just good enough to hide that as well.

“What’s your name?” she blurted out before thinking of a reasonable starting point. There was so much she wanted to ask him and talk about that it was starting to get jumbled in her mind. 

“Depends which name you want.” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, “The one clients use to find me, the one used to get me in trouble, or the one that no one cares to know?”

For a moment she was puzzled by his response, thinking that it was meant to be a riddle of some sort. “Well considering I’m not a client and I don’t want to get you in trouble I say the one that no one cares to know.” she answered, “I figure it’s only fair that with you all ready knowing who I am and so much about me I should at least get to know your name.”

“That’s new.” he said with a smile, “Not everything is fair but it’s Gendry.”

“Gendry.” she repeated, trying to see if the name registered in her mind to connect to someone else she would know. No one came to mind though and so she continued, “What all do you know?” It was a general question but it was the easiest one to ask.

“Depends on where you’d like to start really.” he replied, “I can only tell you so much though. There are some things that even you shouldn’t know.”

“I should know everything when it comes to my family.” she retorted.

“And yet you don’t while I do.” he stated.

She was quiet for a moment, hating the fact that he was right. She should know and yet here he was, a complete stranger, who knew more than she did. It was all wrong. Then again it had all gone downhill since Sansa was taken. That had been the catalyst for everything horrible that had happened to her family. He had been the one to sell to Sansa so perhaps starting at the beginning with her would be best.

“Tell me what you know about Sansa being taken.” she said while trying to not sound demanding.

“I would think you knew enough about that since you found her buying from me. I thought sisters talked more with each other.” Gendry started, “All I know for certain is that Lannister men were paid handsomely for taking her. I can’t vouch for a betrayal of any sort but that is what everyone suspects on the Stark side. We both know how well guarded the lot of you are. While she was in their care, so to speak, they tortured her just for the hell of it. They did not go so far as to rape her considering they had their orders to hold onto her for as long as they were being paid and to not violate her in that manner. What they did was more abusive than anything though, verbal and physical. Getting slapped around so much was why she needed something to take the edge off and I gave her just that.”

“So it was the Lannisters.” Arya sighed, glad to have one aspect confirmed. Sansa’s treatment explained her peculiar behavior once she had come back home. She was just like their mother after all, not fit for the life of a gangster. They could be astute and use pleasantries to get by but that only went so far.

“You mentioned my brother Jon being set up.” she nearly choked on her own words, hating the fact that she likely wouldn’t see Jon for a long time. Now there was no one within the family who understood her. With her father gone and Jon stuck in prison she was alone. “I knew he never committed such a crime, but how was it done?”

“I can give you one guess as to who set him up.” Gendry smirked as if he knew she would guess it right the first time. 

“Lannisters.” she huffed.

“Correct. They planted evidence that would pin him at the scene of the crime. With fingerprints and DNA evidence the case was bound to bring about a guilty charge from the beginning. He isn’t as well known as your eldest brother so it was easier to pin it on him being an outsider to the family.” he explained.

“He isn’t an outsider though!” Arya shouted without realizing she was being louder than necessary, “He’s my brother and as much family as anyone else!”

Gendry just looked at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. “I’m just telling you the truth.” he said.

“It just isn’t fair.” she muttered, “Why do they get to be the ones to mess up entire lives just for their own amusement? We’ve never had a problem with them before.”

“Nothing is ever fair.” he stated, “They’re just greedy for power but it’s their greed that will eventually be their downfall. The Baratheons shouldn’t take much longer to decide on who their new leader is and they won’t let Robert die in vain. If Robb takes the lead for the Starks the two families can become allies on a united front.”

Arya doubted the Baratheons would come to some sort of understanding or agreement over who was in charge. The two remaining brothers were both stubborn and thought they were the one best suited for the job. If Robb did take her father’s place she feared he would meet her father’s same downfall. The image of her father’s lifeless body splayed on the ground came to mind and she shuddered. That horrific sight had been what troubled her during many sleepless nights. It was only by accident that Arya had stumbled across the scene. She had only been trying to clear her head with a walk by herself but in the end her head was cloudier than it had been in the first place. 

Recognizing her father had been easy, even at a distance. She didn’t need to see his face up close to know it was him, which was probably a godsend. His lifeless body torturing her thoughts was better than having his distorted face haunting her every moment. He was wearing his usual attire, a grey pressed suit that matched his eyes as well as her own. The soles of his black dress shoes were grey as well, matching the suit he wore. If she had seen his inner coat pocket there would have been the Stark name written in his own hand but stitched on by a tailor. At first she couldn’t believe her own eyes and doubted what was in front of her. It was only when Yoren grabbed her that she knew something was wrong. His expression was hard and unreadable but he calmly turned her around with his arm around her shoulder and forced her to walk with him, making sure she couldn’t see over or around his chest that he cradled her head into. 

“Come child.” he had said with restraint, “This is no place for you.”

The tears had come so easily it was almost as if she had willed them there. She tried to fight against Yoren in order to go back and get a better look to prove to herself that it was in fact some stranger on the ground that had similar clothes to her father. It seemed impossible that he was dead, but no matter how much she struggled Yoren held fast to her. As they walked away Arya could hear voices and footsteps that belonged to other men who were her father’s friends. They were going to clean up the mess that had been made. They were going to break the news to her mother and the rest of her family. They were those who could be trusted, or so she thought. Who had been the betrayer that had allowed Sansa to be taken? Who had betrayed her father to help get him killed? The betrayers would be the ones who would pay in the end.

“Even if nothing is fair like you say at least something can be done.” she finally said after her thoughts had run their course, “What do you know about my father’s death?”

She could feel her body start to tremble as her emotions took a hold of her. With the memories still fresh in her mind it was hard not to get upset and so she dug her nails into the palms of her hands, waiting for his response. The pain she inflicted was meant to distract her and to keep the tears at bay. Being angry was easier than crying. That was what her mother had done when her father’s friends came to their home to share the news. No one believed them at first, standing in shock and thinking it was a sick joke was their initial response until the words sunk in, saturating the air with the truth.

“Revenge is never as easy as we want it to be,” Gendry replied, “but your father’s death is something I can not share with you.”

“I have a right to know what happened to him!” she shouted, as her voice began to crack.

“You do, but even I don’t have all the details to share with you.” he said, keeping the same calm tone.

“I have to know,” she began with her voice still raised, “I saw him dead on the ground with no one around, not even his friends! Something happened, you have to know that much. You have to know what got him in the end. I don’t need names. I just need an answer.”

She had reached her breaking point. She couldn’t hold herself together for much longer and she started to cry. They were tears of sadness and frustration. Mourning the death of her father wasn’t something she had fully allowed herself to do, the grieving period was long past. Watching her mother and her other sibling’s cry had been enough. She did her best to be strong like Robb and Jon keeping a poker face but her expression showed her grief at times but she never cried. Her frustration stemmed from the fact that there was nothing she could do to save Sansa, her father, or Jon from their plights. She was never let in and so she couldn’t help them when they needed her to, whether they knew it or not.

Even through her tears she could see that Gendry’s smile had faded from his expression. Now she would look like a stupid girl who only cried when there was trouble instead of facing it head on. She half expected him to just leave her there as the mess she was with her tears. He had shared what he was willing to let her know all ready. With what answers she had received Arya knew more than she had before, although she wasn’t sure what she would do with the information just yet.

“Hey,” he whispered in a soothing tone, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had seen the body.”

She jumped a little, surprised that he hadn’t run off as expected.

“They told us no one saw the body except for the few of his men who took him out of there.” Gendry continued.

Arya did her best to try to wipe away her tears but they seemed to just keep coming. Instead of looking at the ground she looked into Gendry’s eyes in-between the tears that fell. For some reason they gave her comfort even though they seemed to penetrate her entirety. Perhaps it was because he knew so much about the rest of her family that she assumed he could see right through her. There was little that needed to be explained to him. 

“I couldn’t get close enough to see what exactly happened.” she said slowly as she tried to control the tears, “I was led away from where I stood but I knew it was him even from a distance. The view is always there in my mind as if reminding me I was too far away to help.”

Everything went quiet as Arya watched Gendry look uneasy for a split second, or maybe the tears in her eyes made him look that way. She had said more than she had wanted to, yet it seemed easy to do.

“There wasn’t a thing you could have done even if you were there.” Gendry finally said as he broke the silence. 

That was it. Gendry did know something even if he had tried to dismiss having any knowledge before. He could have questioned what she would have done to stop it but he hadn’t, he knew what happened and why she couldn’t have done anything to help. Arya looked at him, the tears slowing down to a stop as she stared up at him, waiting for the rest of what he had to say

He sighed, almost regretting what he was about to say before he even said it. “They shot him at point blank right in the back, high enough to hit his heart and damage his lungs from what I’m told.” he finally confessed.

Arya knew her eyes showed her shock as she just stared at Gendry open mouthed. Someone had the nerve to attack her father from behind like the backstabber they were. It seemed unlikely that they took him completely by surprise in their attack so that someone had to be close to him, someone he wouldn’t suspect to betray him.

“That’s all I know.” Gendry concluded, “It was better you weren’t there with him when it happened. He wouldn’t have wanted that for you.”

Arya took a moment to comprehend what she was being told. It hadn’t been a fair fight, actually it hadn’t even been a fight. The proper name for it was an attack. Her father didn’t stand a chance with everything stacked against him. He hadn’t suspected a thing. He was dead because one of his own friends betrayed him, but the question was who.

“Thank you,” Arya managed to say, “for telling me all of this even though you didn’t have to.” 

“I knew I had to tell you something when you looked desperate enough to buy.” he replied, “That doesn’t mean any of what I told you isn’t true.”

Arya smiled a little before asking, “Why didn’t you want me to buy something? I mean, you could have just as easily ignored me and been on your way. Did you work for my father?”

Gendry let out a laugh, amused by her question as if it were a joke. “Your father would never deal with the likes of me.” he started, “Let’s just say we have some friends in common who don’t want to let everything go to hell.”

“I’m starting to feel as if I have fewer and fewer friends.” she said to herself before reaching into her pocket and taking out the bag that Gendry had given her earlier, “This is yours once more.”

“I see it’s untouched. I was worried.” he teased as he took the bag from Arya’s hand. She only knew he was joking because of his tone.

“Now you’ll have other things to worry about.” Arya replied, “I need to get going though before they notice I’ve been gone. Thanks again Gendry.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was no possible way she was doing all right with the given circumstances. She found out the truth about her family, was nearly kidnapped, watched a family friend die, and was now on the run with a drug dealer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay, I was on vacation out of the country. Gendry's point of view once more.

Raising his hand up to his head Gendry kept two fingers straight while the others curled as he touched his head and gave a salute as Arya left to make her way back to her apartment. Things hadn’t gone exactly as he had planned but then again he didn’t know what exactly to expect, save her wanting answers. No one was supposed to see Ned Stark’s body except for his men who came to clean up the scene, so how had Arya been there? He had shard everything he knew with her but it seemed some things weren’t as they should have been.

As he pocketed the bag that Arya had returned to him he wondered whether or not he should try to sell the stuff before going back to his apartment to get some sleep. For some reason his thoughts still lingered on her, which was odd considering he had just seen and spoken to her. What more could he possibly want? The thoughts of her wouldn’t leave his mind though and that’s when he knew what he had to do to ease them, he needed to follow her back. Not to stalk her or see where she lived, he all ready knew that much, rather he needed to see that she got back safely. She had done just fine on her own for months, so why was he concerned now? Why did he even care?

Gendry shook his head in frustration, hoping to get rid of those last thoughts before he started to run towards her apartment, taking a slightly different route so she wouldn’t think that she was being followed. Arya hadn’t been in any sort of rush as Gendry was the first one to arrive at her apartment, although he kept his distance so that whoever was keeping watch wouldn’t notice him. He saw Arya appear from around a corner before she made her way up the fire escape. She looked just like a shadow moving through the night, easily blending in. He sighed in relief even though he had all ready known she would make it back to her apartment safely. As he turned around to go home for the evening he heard a muffled scream. It was loud enough for him to notice because he had been paying attention but to anyone else it could have passed for an animal in the alley.

It was Arya who had been screaming before she was silenced. Gendry turned back around and raced for the fire escape. With one jump his hands gripped the ladder and he pulled himself up before he was able to stand and run up the stairs. His footsteps weren’t very quiet as they pounded against the metal but he wasn’t going for the element of surprise either. Whoever was trying to take or kill her needed to know that someone was aware of what was happening. Once he reached her floor he peered into the window for just a moment before ducking in and standing on the floor of what appeared to be her room. It was dark, far too dark for his liking. His eyes easily adjusted to the change as he looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Before he could whisper her name to try to get a response he heard a grunt come from the other room.

“Why you little-“ grunted a man that was followed by the sound of a slap.

Gendry rushed to the open doorway, thinking that Arya had been either slapped to keep quiet or knocked out to prevent any more trouble. He couldn’t believe his eyes as he instead saw Arya standing up over the figure of a man that lay on the floor. She was shaking her hand in the air, as if trying to get rid of the pain from the slap. No, a slap couldn’t have possibly knocked the man out. Before he could say anything she saw him and quickly raised her hand in a fist, after her initial little jump from surprise.

“Hey.” he whispered, “It’s me, Gendry.”

Her eyes should have adjusted to the dark by now so she could recognize him. She lowered her hand and cradled it for a moment as if it was in pain. 

“What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“What am I doing here?” he answered, “I heard you scream and thought someone placed a hit on you. My question is what did you do to this guy?”

“He came up from behind and surprised me, that’s why I screamed.” she answered in a hushed tone, “You only got here after I knocked him out with a punch. He doesn’t work for anyone in my family and I don’t recognize him.” She paused for a moment as if registering his other comment before finally reacting, “You think someone placed a hit on me?”

For her small size she was stronger than she appeared. When they first met she had simply bopped him on the side of his head but it hadn’t hurt. Either she had been holding back, which he doubted, or she had been practicing her punches for self defense. The practice had surely paid off.

Gendry shrugged his shoulders, “If he’s not someone with your family then I doubt he got lost and ended up here all by his lonesome waiting for you on accident. Did you notice any of your body guards around?”

“Come to think of it I didn’t.” she replied, “They usually have some music playing on the other floors but there’s nothing. Nymeria’s not in here either.”

“Who?” he asked.

“My dog.” she said.

“If someone’s after you they’ve probably taken control of the entire building.” Gendry said, “We need to get out of here before they notice that you’ve knocked out their friend.”

“But what about my family’s men?” she started.

“They’re either long gone or being held hostage for information. They’re here to protect you so if you don’t leave now you’re letting them die in vain.” he said bluntly, hoping she would focus more on herself for the time being rather than someone else.

She hesitated for a moment before giving a nod and making her way back into her bedroom. Gendry followed behind her, figuring they would make their way down the fire escape and back into the alleys.

“Arya…” came a ragged voice, which startled both of them. They both turned in unison towards the source of the voice but its owner was in her closet. Gendry looked at Arya, nodding his head forward and she followed his lead. As she took a hold of the door from the side she looked at Gendry as he nodded once more and she quickly slid it open. Gendry wasn’t sure who he suspected to be there but at this moment everyone was an enemy. The voice belonged to a man who looked to be on the brink of death. He was slouched against some containers that were stacked on the floor, holding onto his side, which even with the little light Gendry could see the trail of blood that continued running down through his fingers. He had planned to either knife the man or knock him out as Arya had done to her assailant, but for some reason Gendry knew he wasn’t an enemy. Arya peered into the closet after she saw that he had hesitated from performing any sort of attack.

“Yoren!” Arya shouted in a whisper before kneeling beside him, “What happened? What’s going on?”

“There’s not… enough… time.” he answered in between ragged breaths. His whole body seems to shake a little as if each breath was breaking him apart. “You must go…. They’ll keep…. coming.” he continued as he looked from Arya to Gendry for a moment. “You take care of her boy.” he said firmly to Gendry, who gave a nod, before looking back at Arya.“I’m sorry child…” he said, “It’s time for me… to join your father… You know what to do…”

With his final words he let out one last shaky breath before his body went limp against the containers. Gendry couldn’t see Arya’s face but he knew that she was close to Yoren and he had been close to her father. This was yet another blow to her loss of family. Arya was completely still for a moment, taking in the sight of Yoren’s lifeless body, and before Gendry could remind her that they needed to get going there was a commotion below them. There was yelling in the stairwell along with loud footsteps making their way towards them.

“Come on.” Gendry said as he grabbed Arya by the arm and hauled her to her feet, “We have to go.” He continued to hold onto her arm as he rushed towards the window, urging her to go first before he followed, making sure to close the window on his way. Even the commotion of noise that the men had made hadn’t broken her concentration as her face appeared frozen but her body was reacting at least, going through the movements of how to get down the fire escape with as much ease as it had taken to get up.

When Gendry finally reached the ground he found Arya just standing there, not necessarily waiting for him, but he realized she was stunned. It was shock that had set in. She had now seen two dead men within a years time and they weren’t just strangers, they were family. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen, at least not for her to see. The news of it all would have been devastating enough, but to have the image of their bodies engrained in her mind would be unforgettable.

“I need you to focus.” he said as he moved in front of Arya, crouching down a bit to look at her face to face. Even with the blank expression on her face he could see that her eyes were red, she had wanted to cry but was unable to. “They’re going to be following us and I need you to be ready to run for as long as it takes. They’ll be blocking the routes that lead to the other safe houses that belong to your family hoping that you’ll be dumb enough to run right to them. We’re going to head to my place which is no where near where your family is but if we don’t hurry they’ll have us surrounded on all sides before we can get out of here. Are you ready?”

She just stared into his eyes and for a moment he wondered if she had even been able to register what he had told her. As he was about to repeat himself he saw her nodding. Gendry took one last look up at where her window was and saw that the lights had come on, the man Arya had knocked out had some concerned friends.

“Let’s go.” he said as he started running, making sure to run at a steady pace that only used his stride. Arya wouldn’t be able to keep up if he were running at a sprint pace because his legs were longer than hers. Soon she was right beside him, easily keeping up for the time being. He knew his place was a fair distance away but what other choice did he have? He did have a choice actually. He didn’t have to help Arya Stark, he didn’t have to keep her safe from the men who were after her, and he didn’t have to put his neck on the line to keep her away from danger. There were a lot of things that he didn’t have to do, but he wanted to. No, he needed to. Even with his inability to properly think things through once thing was certain, he needed to keep Arya Stark safe. Whether or not she was willing to accept his help would be another matter after tonight but he could at least do this much to keep her safe.

They ran together and wound their way through different alleys, avoiding all the major streets and only crossing ones that were empty and devoid of any light. That was the advantage of traveling at night, there were less people and it was harder to see. Some sirens wailed in the distance but that was nothing out of the ordinary. It was only when Gendry started to hear car engines attempting to hide the low hum produced after speeding that he worried. Whoever the men were that wanted Arya were getting close, which was easy when they had vehicles while they ran on foot.

“This way.” he instructed as he ran at the wall of a building before leaping up, grabbing onto the rusting side ladder, and bringing it down with his weight. The noise the ladder made sounded louder than the sirens in the distance but Gendry knew it was because they had only been listening to the sound of their breathing while trying not to get caught. 

“Up you go.” he said as he grabbed her by the waist without warning and lifted her up to the ladder, which wasn’t low enough for her to grab onto on her own. “Straight to the roof and once you’re there lay down flat.” 

As she started making her way up the ladder he let go of her and waited for a moment, looking around to make sure that no one was there. He would have to pull the ladder up after he got high enough and he didn’t need to jump on and shake the old thing while Arya was still trying to climb. There wasn’t a soul around and when he looked up at Arya once more she was all ready more than halfway up the building. She was faster than he had expected. 

Jumping up with his arms outstretched he grabbed onto the bottom row bar of the ladder and pulled himself up. There was a loud clang as his weight hit the ladder but it only shook briefly before it stilled. After a moment of climbing he reached the hinge where the ladder was meant to slide back up into. Using his right foot he began sliding it up by the bars before reaching down with his right hand and sliding it back into place with a click. By the time he started to make his way to the roof Arya was all ready out of sight. Either she was part monkey or she had practiced climbing for years. The latter was more believable considering she had to sneak out of her apartment to meet up with him. Apparently even the life of privilege wasn’t perfect.

Gendry raced to the roof knowing it would provide the perfect view to look out for who was nearby and which route would be the best to take. They were at least halfway to his place and traveling by the rooftops would be much easier in terms of not having to worry about anyone around. When he was on the roof he thought that he had lost Arya for a moment until he could hear her breathing. It had slowed from the fast rate it had been at while they ran but she hadn’t slowed down once.

“Now comes the easy part.” he said as he crouched next to Arya who had curled up next to the edge of the building, “I don’t know how often you’ve run along rooftops but how’s your balance? Can you handle walking on planks of wood?”

Climbing up the ladder had given him a moment to catch his breath but he could hear himself huffing as he waited for Arya’s response. He could easily jump the distance that was between some of the buildings but he didn’t trust himself enough to let Arya attempt to do the same. She would have to walk in between the buildings on the pieces of wood he set up to act like a bridge.

“I can do that.” she replied.

“Good.” he said with a nod, “Give me a moment to check where they’re at and we’ll get going. You holding up all right?”

To that question he couldn’t tell if she did anything in response but he realized that it was a stupid question. There was no possible way she was doing all right with the given circumstances. She found out the truth about her family, was nearly kidnapped, watched a family friend die, and was now on the run with a drug dealer. It was surprising she was still responding to him. Instead of waiting for any sort of reply he stood up and walked around the roof, looking at the different streets for anything to avoid. There were a few suspicious cars driving around in the distance but thankfully none were heading towards or blocking the way they would have to take to get to his place.

“You’re going to have to hang back on some of the buildings as I find the wood for you to cross on. Others are close enough together that we can step right over to the next one. Stay low just in case. Most of the cars aren’t too close but that doesn’t mean they don’t all ready have men searching on foot.” he said as he approached Arya again, who sat up as he got closer, “We’re heading south, just keep an eye on me though and there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Without waiting for a response he turned and started running towards the edge of the building, time was of the essence. He would need all of his speed to propel him through the air once he jumped. Just before he reached the ledge he leapt forward, arms still swinging while his legs seemed to float along with his body. As he got closer to the top of the building he braced himself for impact, expecting the gravel surface that he planned to roll across. His feet hit first as he tucked his right shoulder and rolled along with his momentum. After sliding on his butt for a few feet he finally came to a stop and stood up, making his way around the roof to find the wooden plank. As soon as he found it hidden behind one of the many air units he lifted it and carried it back to where he had landed. With his foot holding one end on the building he slowly lowered the other end to where Arya would be. The wood clattered against the rooftop but it would hold steady.

“Ready when you are.” he quietly called out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I continue this? I forgot all about it after I changed schools but found it and added more to what I had written. Let me know since I'm obviously terrible at this.

Arya took off running towards him and he knew she was giving it everything she had, at least what was left in her after traveling a few miles by rooftop in the middle of the night. When she reached the edge she jumped forward, legs still circling as if she were running through the air and her hands were outstretched as if reaching for the building he stood on. He could only watch in both awe and fear as she started to descend towards the ground, no longer moving forward as fast as she had in the beginning of her jump. 

That was when Gendry realized she was going to make it, or at least he was going to be able to grab onto her and she would make it. He leaned out with his hand extended towards her with the other one bracing himself against the rooftop. He held his breath without realizing it. As soon as Arya realized she wasn’t going to land right on the building her eyes went wide but she reached out and grabbed onto Gendry’s hand. With her dead weight added all at once Gendry felt his shoulder lurch, popping out of place, as he felt himself pulled down, now kneeling on the roof of the building. He grimaced at the pain but kept his teeth clenched as he pulled Arya towards him on the roof. When he felt he had decent footing to keep from falling over he grabbed onto Arya with his other hand making things a bit less painful for his shoulder. She placed her feet along the side of the building, walking her way up as he pulled.

His injured arm wasn’t as useful in pulling her up but it served as an anchor in keeping a hold on her until she was on the roof beside him. They were both out of breath and Gendry felt as if he hadn’t been able to breathe in ages. Arya was lying on her back, arms and legs spread out, trying to get her breathing under control. Gendry attempted to shrug his shoulder, as if he could roll it back into place but instead inhaled sharply through gritted teeth at the pain it caused. He wouldn’t be doing much with his shoulder until he popped it back into place, but that would require him to find someone who would do it for him

Arya had heard him as he noticed her eyes on him as if trying to assess what had happened. He was the one who said he would catch her so the pain was something he should have expected, what with physics and all. He would grin and bear it because they had finally made it to his place. They only had a short walk down the fire escape and then they could finally crash for the night. Laying down in bed sounded comfortable although he didn’t exactly have a spare.

“Did I dislocate it?” she questioned, interrupting his thought about where she would be sleeping.

“I dislocated it with your weight.” he answered as he looked at her, “It’s nothing major, just need to pop it back into place.”

“Here, let me do it.” Arya said as she hopped up from her splayed state with ease before waving her hand, “Stand up.”

Gendry wasn’t sure if she actually knew how to pop a shoulder back into place or if she was going to try and massage it. Either way he stood up as she had instructed, waiting for what she was going to attempt to do to his shoulder while he was standing.

“Ok, this won’t work. Kneel down.” she said as she shook her head, realizing that he was taller than her.

He got down on his knees, kneeling in front of her as she moved around to his back and out of sight.

“Perfect, now I need you to tell me where exactly you’re taking me.” she stated.

“I thought I told you I was-“ he started to say, wondering if she had still been in shock when he explained that they needed to get away to his place because her other safe houses would be blocked. He was interrupted by a sharp pain as he felt her hands suddenly pressing and pushing against him, putting his shoulder back into place. 

“Damnit!” he said as his body twitched from the pain he was now feeling. He wasn’t sure whether it was worse before or after it had been dislocated but he didn’t like it. Luckily he had least had something inside his place he could take.

“You should be fine now.” she said as she moved in front of him.

He realized she hadn’t forgotten but instead was trying to distract him from what she was about to do. As he rolled his shoulder forward he could feel that she had gotten it in just right.

“When did you learn how to do something like that?” he questioned as he rubbed at his shoulder a bit, a bit surprised she’d been able to do it with such ease.

“Bran likes to climb trees and the sides of buildings. My mom one time made him swear that he’d never climb again after he got badly hurt one time but of course he was back at it again a few months later. Who do you think fixed his multiple dislocated shoulders before my mom could find out?” Arya answered with a shrug.

Apparently the Stark children had a knack for climbing buildings although it sounded like Arya was far more graceful than her brother. Thankfully she hadn’t fallen or that would not have ended well for either of them. 

“Well thanks.” he said as he stood up and began walking over to the fire escape on the building, “We don’t have to worry about neighbors too much up here. The upper floors are empty and used for events. We’re just one floor down.”

By events he meant parties which always varied from either drinking parties to shooting up parties or sometimes a combination of both. Sometimes just one lonely junkie who just needed a spot to get high could be found on the floor. Sure, he didn’t love being close to the loud noises but it was good for business since someone usually knocked on his door when they ran out of what they needed. He led the way down the fire escape stairs feeling weird about finally coming down from being on rooftops all night. 

He only stopped when they were at his window and gave it a good couple pulls before it finally creaked and slid open. Gendry gestured for Arya to go inside first, which she did slowly as exhaustion was finally hitting hard. It wasn’t a large window but she was small enough to easily fit through the space. His shoulders forced him to come in at a side angle so he wouldn’t get stuck and look like an idiot. Once she was inside he followed and closed the window behind him.

“Home sweet home.” he commented looking over the dimly lit living room that had a couch and an old tv. The furnishings were all gifts that he happened to get years ago and never bothered to replace because they worked just fine. No point in getting rid of something that worked. It wasn’t terribly messy but he knew it had been cleaner when he first started renting the apartment. There were a few dirty dishes next to the couch but those weren’t in the way so there was no point in bothering with them.

“You can take my bed.” he offered as he walked over and opened the door to his room. That was an even bigger mess but Arya only needed to use his bed so it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was clean at least although the blankets were strewn all over the bed because he rarely made it. His dresser and closet were an explosion of clothes and other miscellaneous items but he needed his room in a mess so he could find what he needed. If someone tried to search through his things he would know, only because there was a method to his madness.

“Bathroom is the first door on the left once you step outside.” he attempted to explain, unsure of what all she needed at the moment. Before he could say anything more Arya had all ready walked past him towards the bed and threw herself down on it to sleep. “See you in the morning.” he yawned before turning off the light and closing the door behind him. The couch was going to be his bed for the evening so he shuffled over to it and laid down. He lazily kicked off his shoes as he laid on his uninjured shoulder. There were some painkillers somewhere in his pocket and he reached to grab them but his body was working against him. Now was the time for sleep and in a moment he was out like a light.


End file.
